Quotes: Duke 3, Winthrop 2

Duke Head Coach John Kerr

On Winthrop's play:

"They played well the last 25 minutes of the game and gave us fits. It's a good thing Ryan McDaniel popped up and scored the third goal or we'd be headed into overtime."

On the momentum shift after Winthrop got its first goal:

"They scored on their first shot, and I think we had 13 shots up to then. It gave them belief now that they could get back in the game, and it kind of shocked us because we had most of the possession for a good 55 or 60 minutes and then they score and all of a sudden life's a little different. So, they caught us off guard after they scored, and [James] Belshaw had to come up with a great save to keep it at 2-1, and luckily for us Ryan McDaniel popped up and scored that third goal to give us some breathing room. Fair play to them, they bounced back and scored their second goal, and made it very interesting the last 15 minutes."

On Ryan McDaniel's goal:

"He's been a stalwart for us all season long in the midfield. It's a special night for him to step up and score the winning goal for probably his last game here at Koskinen, and it was great for him."

On Nick Sih pushing forward out of the back:

"It gives another dimension to our attack when he gets forward because he's very good. He's a converted forward to a fullback, and he's got a good eye for space. He serves a great ball and he can score goals. So, it's always good for us when he can create havoc for us in the final third."

The assist on Trae Harrison's goal:

"It was a great goal. [Andrew] Wenger knows how to hit balls properly, and he served a wonderful ball. [Trae Harrison] saw the space and attacked the area, and got a great header on it. It was a great goal for us to go 2-0 into halftime."

On playing a close game in the first round:

"It keeps you sharp. It kind of reminds us that going into Sunday, that it's not going to be easy, and we're going to have to be ready for it. Michigan State is going to be a tough opponent, and we have to make sure we're ready for them."

On what Duke needs to improve upon:

"I think the overall sharpness. In the second half, we were a little bit sloppy in our passing, sloppy in our defending. We can't do that in the second half against Michigan State. Even if we're down a goal or up a goal or even, we have to make sure we're sharp the whole game long. I think this is the worst second half we've played all season because we've been a pretty good second half team this year.

Duke Senior Forward Trae Harrison

Comment on the game:

"The first half we played really well. The second half, we had to come back and get in it. Being a senior and we had lost in the first round every year since I was a freshman, it definitely feels good to just get a win as ugly as it may be. So, we'll take it and improve on it in the next round."

On scoring an important goal:

"I just take them as they come. Regardless of how big the game is I'm always out there giving 100 percent, so it just so happens that when I get the goals it's in kind of big situations, and, hey, I'll take that. Whatever I can do to help the team.

Duke Freshman Forward Ryan Finley

On the importance of scoring early:

"I think scoring first settles everyone's nerves. Especially coming out in the tournament everyone wants to come out and play their best game, so scoring in the first five minutes definitely gives us a little bit of an edge on the other team."

On the physical play of the game:

"Anytime you're in the tournament, no one wants to end their season today. Everyone's giving 100 percent out there, so sometimes it gets physical out there, but that's part of the game."

On what the team needs to work on heading to Michigan State:

"I think in the first half we know we can come out and play like that in both halves. If we play both halves like we did in the first half, then I think it's going to be tough for any team to beat us. It shows what we can do, and we just need to work on coming out in the second half and do the same thing we did in the first half."

Duke Senior Midfielder Ryan McDaniel

On his game-winning goal:

"I guess it was a little bit dramatic, but we'll take it. I had a terrible touch, to be honest with you, and I had to rescue myself and I got behind it and put it in the back post and good things happened."

On having to battle for the close win:

"I think it is a little bit of a reality check. We came out very well in the first half and kind of got complacent in the second half, and we'll go to work in practice to make sure we're up for both halves up at Michigan State, for sure."

On the difference of this year compared to last year:

"I think its composure, first off. We got a little frantic at the end, and I think with the difference between this team this year and last year is that we were able to keep our composure and hold them off in the end, and that's the big thing."

On the difference between the two halves:

"I think we had their number pretty much for the first half. They didn't really have any answers. I think, again, we had a couple guys who fell asleep on a couple plays and all it takes is a little momentum switch and they're back in the game. For the most part, I think we were resolute as a team, especially in the first half. We just have to bring the fire everyday."

Players Mentioned

Trae Harrison

Ryan McDaniel

Nick Sih

Duke information